49ers 34, Jets 0

September 30, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

By Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange

49ers 34, Jets 0

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter each ran for touchdowns to highlight a 245-yard rushing effort by the San Francisco 49ers, who forced four New York Jets turnovers in a 34-0 rout of the Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The 49ers (3-1) capped a two-game road trip with their second shutout under Jim Harbaugh. The Jets fell to 2-2 in front of an announced crowd of 79,088 with their worst shutout defeat since a 41-0 pasting by the Jaguars on Oct. 8, 2006.

The Jets, who were playing their first game without injured All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, may have suffered another long-term loss when Santonio Holmes' left knee bent awkwardly as he made a catch early in the fourth quarter. Holmes flung the ball in agony and 49ers defensive back Rogers returned it for the game-clinching score.

Gore rushed 21 times for 62 yards while Hunter added eight carries for 56 yards to lead a 49ers offense that featured nine different ball carriers.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was 13-of-29 for 103 yards and two turnovers (one interception, one fumble). The Jets crossed midfield four times and committed two turnovers on those trips, which led to 10 points for the 49ers.

The 49ers led just 10-0 at the half but consistently toyed with the Jets by displaying a variety of trick plays on offense. Alex Smith pitched, a la an option quarterback, to Kyle Williams for a 2-yard gain the play before Kaepernick, the 49ers' Wildcat quarterback, rushed 7 yards for his first NFL touchdown. And earlier in the half, Mario Manningham gained 28 yards on an end-around.

The 49ers capped the day with a 30-yard run around right end by Kaepernick, who slid at the Jets' 3-yard-line with 1:12 to play.

While the 49ers' foray into gimmicky offenses thrived, the Jets continued to struggle move their Wildcat plays. Tim Tebow completed his first pass with the Jets early in the second quarter, but Dedrick Epps fumbled it and the 49ers recovered. Overall the Jets gained just 13 yards in four Wildcat plays in the first three quarters.

The Jets briefly stirred in the second quarter, when consecutive sacks of Alex Smith forced the 49ers to try a 55-yard field goal, which David Akers missed. But the Jets recorded just one more first down -- via a penalty -- the rest of the half.

NOTES: The 49ers became the first West Coast team to beat the Jets at home in a 1 p.m. game since the Chargers won 31-26 on Nov. 6, 2005. In between losses, the Jets beat the Raiders twice and the Cardinals and Chargers once apiece in early games at the Meadowlands or MetLife Stadium. ... The 49ers improved to 4-0 after a loss under second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and 3-0 on the back end of consecutive road games. ... Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas' sack of Alex Smith in the second quarter was his first since Dec. 26, 2010. Thomas, who was released by the Jets prior to last week's game but re-signed on Tuesday, missed the final 12 games of last year with a torn Achilles. ... The Jets were shutout in the first half for the first time since Oct. 31, 2010, when they lost to the Packers 9-0.